Member Bios
Group Admin
Judith Lesnaw
My passion for photography developed in my father's basement darkroom when I was a young child. It simmered throughout a four- decade career in molecular virology at the University of Kentucky, and resurfaced when I retired in 2010. My interests span macro, nature, abstract, and experimental photography, and photo haiku. My images have been shown in juried exhibits, and have won awards. I use a Canon 80D with Canon 100mm, and Tamron 16-300mm lenses. In KY I was a member of the Digital Photography group of the CKCS. As a member of the Creative Camera Club of Lexington, Kentucky I was awarded 2014 Photographer of the Year. In my new home state of DE I am a member of the Delaware Photographic Society.
Peter Newman
I have been a serious amateur photographer for well over fifty years. For many of those years I have been active in a local camera club. My photography has gone through several phases. ( I will eliminate the family only phase.) In the first I tried to follow CC "rules." But when I realized that photography is a hobby, and the only one my work should please is me. In my current phase I seek to present an interpretation of what I see. If the communication has not occurred It is my failure. My personal art philosophy, should be mentioned so that the context of my comments may be understood. To me a photo taken for purposes other than as an aid to recollection of a beautiful spot, or moment in life is art. As such a literal reproduction is a catalog or postcard shot, which usually communicates nothing about the object. My approach is some type of abstract interpretation. I am always seeking to learn. Please do not be shy about making negative constructive comments, I will learn more from a constructive negative comment, them than a basically meaningless "nice image," without further explanation. Hopefully, I will follow my own philosophy. I also like to experiment. As we all know some experiments work, and others don't. Most of the time I just let the image tell me what to do.
Gerard Blair
Gerard Blair was raised in Northern England and has lived in the South, in Scotland, Israel, Japan and now in the United States. Professionally, he is a Microchip designer and is pleased to note that in a summer job in 1986 he wrote the first drafts of a funding proposal for his Professor at Edinburgh University to start early research into CMOS digital sensors - although this doesn't actually help him take better photographs.
Gerard's first attempts at photography started in 1998 with a basement darkroom, and black and white film. Since 2000 he has moved into digital photography but has retained a love of contrast. His main outlet has been the Great Allentown Fair - an annual event including livestock and photography where he normally wins a first on one of the categories and has twice won best-in-show. Baa! Well, we all have to start somewhere. One consequence of this focus has been a preponderance of portraits in his portfolio … of sheep and goats and fowl and such; thankfully, several vacations have broadened his range of subjects to include wildlife, and flora, and various-scapes.
As a boy, he exhibited paintings with his mother's art club; but he lacked skill. Digital photography, however, allows him more easily to refine, repair, and craft images repeatedly and so to improve. Now, semi-retired, he is able to devote time to explore and study both the history of painting, and the creation of his own art using the camera. His plan is to learn until he can make pictures that bring him pleasure, and his method is to join the local photography club, to join PSA, to take courses, and to test his advances by entering into juried exhibitions.
Liz Smith
I am, among other things, a lady with a camera trying to catch life's little moments while traveling the back roads and other places as often as I can. I like to photograph interesting things I find while out exploring the world. Each morning, as I wake, I wonder what the world has in store for me today.
Currently my cameras of choice are my Canon 6D MKII and my Canon 7D MKII along with various lenses. But my cell phone has served me well also.
My work has been exhibited in museums and published in magazines. It has won awards in monthly competitions held by our local photo club and sold at various art festivals.
My cameras allow me to see the world with a different set of eyes. Hopefully my images will give you, the viewer, a sense of being there too. So if my eye is right and my aim true, you will share my view and a chance to relive a moment from your past. Or perhaps, a glimpse of something in your future.
Freddie Kelvin
I am a retired radiologist, and have developed a passion for photography over the last 14 or so years. Initially I joined workshops in the American West and took traditional landscape photos. Since then, I have morphed into more abstract work, concentrating on reflections, Intentional Camera Movement, and some image blending.
I am also a keen dance photographer. I use a Fuji XT3 most of the time, reserving my Nikon D750 for dance since I have a fast Nikon f2.8 70-200. I have had numerous local exhibitions, which encourage me to develop my photographic skills and not remain static.
Karl Leck
Karl has been photographing for over 50 years, 24 of which were spent photographing international equestrian sports including 6 summer Olympic Games and major championships in North America and Europe. He has photographed on every continent. His photographs have appeared on over 50 magazine covers and in many equestrian sport and photography books. He won PSA's Smith Award for Photojournalist of the Year twice. He is a Fellow of the Delaware Photographic Society and the sole Master Fellow of the Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography. He currently serves as Print Director for both organizations as well as teaching digital photography at the University of Delaware Lifelong Learning Institute. Since retiring from editorial photojournalism, he tries to expand his knowledge and experience. He participates in several regional solo and group fine art print exhibits each year believing that the lasting form of great photographs is in the print.
Lauren Heerschap
Lauren Heerschap is a Shoreline, Washington native that has let photography take her all over the world. She has taken many award-winning landscape, nature and creative photos. She uses an Olympus OM-D E Mark 2 camera, and formerly used a Canon 6D. She has served as President of the Puget Sound Camera Club for four years and is currently the Vice-President of the Northwest Council of Camera Clubs. She is a member of the Photographic Society of America (PSA). She has won many awards from these organizations. Her work is regularly accepted and displayed in local art shows, such as the Mountlake Terrace Art Show, Edmonds Art Show and Kenmore Art Show, the Washington State Fair in Puyallup and the Evergreen State Fair. She has been trained in the PSA Image Analysis Course. She has judged prints in the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, the Clallam County Fair, Seattle Photographic Society, the NW Dahlia Association, and various flower shows. More images can be found at www.laurenheerschap.com. Her prints are for sale, and can also be purchased unframed, or printed in different sizes.